Weekly announcements and environmental review notices

Volume 50, Number 30                                                                                               July 28, 2026

Announcements

Environmental Review 101: Alternative Urban Areawide Review

At this webinar EQB staff will give an overview of the Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) and updated web-based guidance. The session is ideal for beginning practitioners and will discuss applicability, validity, and procedural steps of the process, as well as solicit input for a planned update of the 2008 document Recommended AUAR Content & Format.

Date: Wednesday, July 29
Time: 10:00 -11:00  a.m.
Register via Teams

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Environmental Review Technical Assistance Survey

If you completed an environmental review process in 2026 and submitted a notice for the Monitor, we want to hear from you! Tell us how we’re doing providing guidance and assistance by taking this short five-question survey. Your responses are for EQB use only and will help us provide better assistance for you in the future.

Environmental review project notices

EQB publishes environmental review notices provided by responsible governmental units. For more information on a project undergoing environmental review, click on the individual project links below. You can also find information about active projects in your community on the Environmental Review Projects Interactive Map.

Cedar Lake Manoomin Restoration EAW

Location (city/township; county): Perch Lake Township; Carlton
Process: EAW
Step: EAW available
End of comment period: August 27, 2026

Project description: The Minnesota Land Trust, in partnership with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, proposes to re-establish water levels favorable for Manoomin (wild rice) productivity at Cedar Lake, a designated wild rice lake on the Fond du Lac Reservation. The project would restore historic lake levels by removing downstream beaver dams and associated materials. It also includes installation of a restricted-access boat ramp to enable long-term lake management.
Cedar Lake Manoomin Restoration EAW project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: Cloquet Public Library, 320 14th St, Cloquet, MN 55720

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Kathy Metzker, 651-259-5694

Mile Post 7 West Ridge Railroad Relocation, Dam Progressions, and Stream Mitigation

Location (city/township; county): Silver Bay; Lake
Process: EAW
Step: EAW available
End of comment period: August 27, 2026

Project description: Northshore Mining Company proposes to relocate the West Ridge Railroad, progress Dams 1 and 2, construct a Dam 1 rail switchback, and develop a clay borrow site at the Mile Post 7 tailings basin. The project also includes approximately 12,900 linear feet of stream mitigation across four sites.
Mile Post 7 West Ridge Railroad Relocation, Dam Progressions, and Stream Mitigation project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, Saint Paul, MN 55155

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Rebecca Horton, 651-259-5122

Project Woods EAW

Location (city/township; county): Big Lake; Sherburne
Process: EAW
Step: EAW available
End of comment period: August 27, 2026

Project description: Fisher Construction Group proposes a 550,000 sq. ft. single story factory and warehouse building with an office and parking area. The building will be built on the south end of the 115.3- acre property on agricultural land. The building will be served with public utilities and will utilize infiltration with stormwater ponding. The building site is located in Big Lake, Sherburne County, Minnesota on the north side of Highway 25.

Location of public documents: Big Lake City Hall, 160 Lake Street North, Big Lake,
MN 55309

Public meeting date, time, location: September 16, 2026, 6:30 p.m., Big Lake City Hall,
160 Lake Street North, Big Lake, MN 55309

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Big Lake, Marie Popp, 763-463-9638

East Central Solid Waste Commission Sanitary Landfill (SW-17) Expansion

Location (city/township; county): Mora; Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine
Process: EIS
Step: EIS preparation notice

Project description: The East Central Solid Waste Commission Sanitary Landfill is an existing municipal solid waste, construction and demolition waste, and industrial waste landfill is applying for a 10-year permit to add 1.7 million cy of MSW capacity for continued filling of Phases 7A through 8A while conducting environmental review for the unpermitted portions of Phase 7A through Phase 9.

Summary of scoping decision: The East Central Sanitary Landfill Expansion EIS will evaluate environmental, economic, employment, and sociological impacts of the Project, and compare the potentially significant impacts with a No Action Alternative. Reasonable mitigation measures identified through the SEAW and DEIS process will be further evaluated. The EIS will include analysis of potential cumulative effects within each of the topic areas where the SEAW identified environmental overlap. Topics identified as important with only minor edits or updates from the SEAW include permits, climate adaptation and resilience, geology/soils/landforms, contamination/hazardous materials/waste, and fish/wildlife/plant communities, historic properties, visual aesthetics, and noise. Topics identified as having a potentially significant impact that require compilation and analysis of existing information and/or new studies include water resources, air quality, and greenhouse gases.

Location of public documents: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Road,
St Paul, MN 55155

Responsible governmental unit and contact: Minnesota Pollution Control agency, 
Megen Kabele, 651-757-2044

Southwest Study Area AUAR

Location (city/township; county): Lakeville; Dakota
Process: Large AUAR
Step: Revised AUAR
End of objection period (for state agencies and Met Council only): August 11, 2026

Project description: The Southwest Study Area ("AUAR Area") includes twenty-one (21) parcels that comprise approximately 390.4 acres in Lakeville, Dakota County, Minnesota. The AUAR Area is generally located south of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 70/210th St W, west of Interstate 35 (I-35), and east of the City of Credit River, Scott County. Parts of the AUAR Area have historically been in agricultural use, several parcels are currently rural residential land use, and one parcel is currently undeveloped. Artemis Development Company (“Proposer”) is proposing to phase development within the AUAR Area to convert the existing land into a master planned residential and commercial development that may include institutional uses including a school over the next several years.
Southwest Study Area AUAR project link provided by RGU

Location of public documents: City of Lakeville City Hall, 20195 Holyoke Avenue,
Lakeville, MN 55044

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Lakeville, Tina Goodroad,
952-985-4421

Fish kill reports

Minnesota Duty Officer reports pertaining to fish kills are summarized in the following table, in accordance with 103G.216, REPORTING FISH KILLS IN PUBLIC WATERS, Subd. 2 Reporting Requirement. These reports were received via the Minnesota Duty Officer prior to the submission deadline for this edition of the EQB Monitor. They represent the raw data/information provided by callers. For more information regarding fish kills in Minnesota see the Department of Natural Resources. Call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798 to report fish kills.

Access the EQB monitor submission service

Questions? Contact EQB by phone at 651-757-2873 or email us at EQB.Monitor@state.mn.us. 

For more information on environmental review, please visit the EQB website or contact us at env.review@state.mn.us.